Maciej Gdula Resigns from New Left Amidst Internal Rifts

The news in Polish

1. opuścić
   wyjść lub odejść z miejsca, grupy lub organizacji na stałe lub na dłuższy okres ↩︎
2. wyrazić
   przekazać uczucia, myśli lub opinie w sposób jasny i zrozumiały ↩︎
3. żal  (m.)
   uczucie smutku lub rozczarowania spowodowane stratą lub nieszczęśliwym wydarzeniem ↩︎
4. wprowadzić
   przyczynić się do tego, aby coś się zaczęło dziać lub funkcjonować ↩︎
5. wewnętrzny
   znajdujący się w środku, dotyczący wnętrza czegoś ↩︎
6. dotychczasowy
   istniejący lub trwający do tej pory, przed aktualnym momentem ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Why did Maciej Gdula leave the New Left party?

Question 2: What did Maciej Gdula achieve in 2019?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
opuścić	leave
wyrazić	express
żal  (m.)	regret
wprowadzić	introduce
wewnętrzny	internal
dotychczasowy	so far

Read the full story

Maciej Gdula, a prominent figure within Polish politics and former Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, has resigned from the New Left party. Gdula shared the news on social media, expressing his departure with “regret and a sense of defeat.” He indicated that both the Left and the broader democratic camp find themselves in 2025 facing similar challenges as in 2015.

In his statement, Gdula criticised the party’s internal divisions, highlighting a lack of unified strategy as a key concern. He remarked that the successful introduction of new individuals into politics in 2019 had initially resulted in significant representation in the Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament. This strategy, continued into 2023, provided an opportunity to challenge the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and participate in governance. However, this relative unity only lasted for a few months, leading to disagreements that reflected broader coalition issues.

Gdula underscored that the temptation to “win at others’ expense” often overshadowed shared goals and responsibilities. He lamented that, despite his dedication to maintaining differences while fostering cooperation within the democratic bloc—a strategy he credited for electoral victories in 2023—the path had diverged in ways detrimental to their cause. He also pointed at recent changes within the New Left’s statutes, describing the party as “dangerously homogeneous,” further suggesting conflicts with leadership over integrating new faces into the party.

The former politician notably pointed to his ongoing disputes with the party leadership as the triumph of “limited imagination.” He asserted that if diversity and new entrants posed problems for a single group, it was challenging to envisage effective broader coalition cooperation.

Expressing gratitude to those he worked with towards improving Poland, Gdula ended his message with best wishes for their continued success. His departure marks a significant moment, reflecting internal tensions and potential future challenges for the New Left. Gdula, who served as a Member of Parliament from 2019 to 2023, remains an influential academic at the University of Warsaw. His resignation and preceding conflicts, including issues surrounding the research development centre IDEAS NCBR, add another layer to the complex dynamics within Polish politics.

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